Very interesting story with really nice plots
Great storyline! Very intruguing and really interesting to watch. I loved how the storyline went really smoothly. Although the ending felt quite abrupt and some of the spidoes felt a little too short but overall really good drama. It has interesting law cases and was an entertaining watch. I loved the acting of the cast tho! The cast smashed it! The whole thing just felt realistic. The music was great too! very soothing and fit perfectly into each scene. I wouldn't rewatch this drama but it was a really good one. Very mysteriously interesting characters with unexpected.. links -I must say. Truly truly worth every minute. It was interesting but a little.. boring ig at the same time. I felt like there could have been more details in the episodes but, that's just my opinion and this drama turned out really great and I would love to see a season 2. Overall, Great drama with interesting plots and very intriguing chracters and perfect music. 😶🌫️💭🗞️👩🏻💼💭💼🧑🏻⚖️💭🚓👮🏻♂️Was this review helpful to you?
Great drama to watch again
Great drama to watch again and again, and again...I come back to this drama on average once a year, because it has a well-written story, nice characters, it is very well played and the music perfectly reflects the nature of the scenes. This drama has elements of comedy and tragedy, romance and sensation - so it is a typical good k-drama, but also has a lot of warmth and positive energy, so even if a sensitive viewer sheds a tear or two at times, the overall impression is very positive. I give 9.5 not 10 because this drama is great, but not absolutely brilliant. There were some annoying elements that subtracted 0.5 points. But only 0.5 points.
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An intense yet feel good drama
The premise of While You Were Sleeping really caught my eye as I have some experience on dreams and precognition so the emotional connection to the drama was quite solidified . However , bias aside, this drama did so well in world building and being very elemental . The fact that it is a legal drama with romantic and fantasy elements made this drama thrilling and very full bodied.The full bodied nature of the drama meant everything was well fleshed out. The stories of everyone from the guy in school , the lawyer in the firm, the prosecutors to the intimate relationships were highly generous and very rewarding . It almost came across as a slice of life drama which I highly appreciated . The creation of an ensemble of likeable characters made the WYWS world feel full and very much lived in, and that’s probably the thing I liked most about While You Were Sleeping.The pathos illustrated made the characters likeable and easy to relate to and seeing them making hard decisions in the best way they knew how was a great continuity and relatable factor for the audience.There was also enough external conflict in highly villainous characters to keep it exciting and spicy too.Not to mention that this drama is HILARIOUS as well.
As for the romance business - it was all very pleasant and warm.In fact -the romance displayed here will go down as one of my personal faves in Kdrama land because of the ease that it was. It was not angst ridden and the understanding they had for each other was highly rewarding . Everything was so pleasantly soft even with the second male lead!
However , on the flip side ,the main element is not widely explained but I forgave that because it really isn’t about the intricacies of the plot but its really about the character growth born from the main element.
As for the acting and cast all I can muster is that there are 3 VERY hot male leads in Lee Jong Suk , Jung Hae In and Lee Sang Yeob that make this drama VERY easy on the eyes . A hot villain in Lee Sang Yeob ? Yes please!
Ahem , on a serious note though -the supporting cast was flawless and a standing ovation is in order for the very sweet portrayal of Han Woo Tak by the commendable Jung Hae In . I thoroughly enjoyed his restrained yet thoughtful enactment of Woo Tak and quite frankly - I will follow Jung Hae In wherever he goes and thats that.As for Lee Jung Suk - he was okay ( I never find him spectacular ) whilst Suzy Bae is not horrendous at all as some like to say. Though , its very obvious that the two could have been more emotive because Jung Hae In really showed them up . Just saying.
Now for music - its the softest ost out there that perfectly exemplifies the romance. The music also did well in atmosphere modulation too. I particularly loved Suzy Bae' s songs but essentially - the OST is very good .
OVERALL- The whole drama was really about the effect that people have on other people, and recognising that no matter how small a decision seems to you, it could alter someone else’s life irrevocably. I found that quite poignant about WYWS that I I highly recommend this watch.
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The dreams in itself is what propelled me to delve into yet another prosecution/reporter drama in the beginning. I enjoyed the contrasting scenes that the three would have and how they would resolve. I liked how there was always more than one variable for how things would go, and the consequences that followed. But somewhere along the way, although the dreams mostly did relate to Jung Jae Chan, Nam Hong Joo and Han Woo Tak, they seemed to become solely focused on benefiting their lives (mostly Jae Chan's), and less focused on how they were in the beginning, saving others. This was a shame as there was some amazing storylines that came from those dreams, and not focused on the pure outcome of a court case.
As it continued and drove through a heavy course of judicial, and frankly not of my interest, roads, I found my love for minor characters to be far more intriguing. Whilst my love for Woo Tak (and we'll get to that in a moment), was still remaining strong throughout, the characters Choi Dam Dong, Lee Ji Gwang and Son Woo Joo helped me continue through this drama. Choi in particular is a strong character who evoked a lot of thought and interest throughout. And speaking of Han Woo Tak, if any reason is needed to sit through all 32 episodes, it's this character here. He is a breath of fresh air as the "second guy" and I have to hand it to writer Park Hye Ryun for not botching his ending at all, and giving him his own identity throughout. He is a formidable friend, who captures the heart of many within this world and mine as well. Jung Hae In is an actor that should be on more drama watchers' radars, his acting has never failed to captivate me yet.
The ending is always a key point for me, most amazing dramas usually have a less than stellar closing point, but since my expectations and interest had dropped by episodes 18-21, I don't feel as though it failed to meet what I was expecting. Those who needed to face their crimes did, those who needed to learn lessons experienced those, and were closed off with everyone in the world having somewhat of a happy ending.
I would recommend this to others to watch if they enjoy this currently everywhere genre, or enjoy watching the minor characters take over the story like I did. If you're only coming in for romance between Jong Suk and Suzy, you will be poorly let down.
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This review may contain spoilers
When I first started watching this drama it was interesting because it was something different, but over time it seemed a little repetitive with its past plot. I think it was because of the same situation with Yu Beom, that it kinda got boring and made me roll my eyes as it was the same thing each time, because of this repetitiveness sometimes you could tell what was gonna happen, but what would you expect from a drama that had to do with the law. However other than that I think the story line was great. I would’ve liked more of a background on Woo Tak because I really liked his character and I would’ve liked to see more development, but I also would’ve liked more scenes with Jae Chan and Investigator Choi. Also more scenes with Myung Dae-gu would’ve been nice since the last case was about his father. The ending for me seemed unfinished, just the way it ended didn’t seem like it was the last episode, Woo Tak is gonna be an attorney, we see their wedding picture hanging on the wall, and then Jae Chan says his memory he doesn’t regret doing and it ends. For me personally it just seemed very unfinished and didn’t give me much closer. Besides all those there were points that had me shook and parts I really liked. Would I rewatch it? Probably not, but it’s definitely worth to be watched at least once.
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The main casts are amazing. Lee Jong Suk and Bae Suzy together is like putting 2 final best ingredients into a recipe so it will taste good. Their chemistry is okay, I have no complain at all.
The OST is on another level! I'm happy when I heard Davichi's I Miss You being played on the drama. It fits the story so much!
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"While You Were Sleeping" may be somewhat of an "oldie" but It still has shazammm~~
If you love romance, comedy, crime, suspense, and fantasy... I totally recommend it. It has everything and more! I was so amazed and hope you all add it to your next watching~ It may be a bit old but that doesn't mean it lacks in any way.When I watched the first episode I knew I would love it. Each episode my mind was always blown away by the connections of the past, present and future. The connections between characters. I love when there's a meaning, a connection - when a story creates a perfect puzzle. "While You Were Sleeping" creates a beautiful puzzle. Each story of each character has a meaning. I became really attached to the characters. They were so unique and had their own special bling.
I believe this drama is very interesting, It was like a book, where I felt the urge to read every single page. "While You Were Sleeping" was beyond my expectations and definitely is now one of my favourite dramas. The Actors did their roles amazingly and really helped their characters have life. Personally, I haven't been much of a fan of Lee Jong Suk but woah I was really amazed by him from this drama and now I admit... I am a fan :3
Anyways, to conclude my review, I really loved this drama and can't wait for others to find enjoyment in this drama! "While You Were Sleeping" made me feel SOOO much emotion. I'm so happy I decided to watch this UwU I will miss the characters so much ;-; they'll always hold a special place in my heart. I also loved seeing a lot of familiar faces hehe :3
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This review may contain spoilers
Almost Perfect (In My Opinion)
This is the best kdrama I've watched. Usually I wouldn't give a show a 10 unless it's completely flawless and really hits the feels too. But even though I have a few minor critiques when it comes to this drama, they're so minor that I decided to give this a 10 anyway.Story: I gave this a 10. Almost gave it a 9.5 but ultimately, if you read between the lines, I think the story itself deserves a 10. All the plotlines tied up perfectly by the end, they took their time with the ending too and everything was plausible. I wasn't frustrated with the way anything turned out and honestly, even Investigator Choi's death made sense and added the right amount of angst and drama for the climax. It didn't feel like they decided to randomly kill him off to drive the ending climax either, it genuinely felt natural to the story. The characters were all really well developed and lovable, each having their distinctive personalities that really added to the depth of the story. This kdrama, by far, has the best second male lead storyline ever. Woo Tak was so kind-hearted, never once made a move on Hong Joo out of respect for both her and his close friend, he was happy if she was happy. He was honest and I'm happy that he was such a main character. As someone who HATES love triangles, I'm really really amazed with how they went about the second male lead. It wasn't really a love triangle, despite Woo Tak clearly being in love with Hong Joo. She wasn't in love with him, he didn't try to interfere or confess, and our bb Jae Chan knew about his feelings but still cared for him. The trio's friendship was beautiful and I'm glad no one was treated unfairly. All of the juxtaposition, cinematography, writing and subplots were superb. This kdrama has the perfect mix of love, friendship, family, crime, and drama. The only question that wasn't outright answered was about Hong Joo and how her premonitions started. But I'm okay with that being more or less a mystery since sometimes, you don't always get the answers you want in life. Like, how is she supposed to just magically find out how they started? If we follow Woo Tak's theory then maybe she had a near death experience when she was younger and that's how the premonitions started. And maybe she wasn't saved specifically by one person, hence why her premonitions aren't just about one person. Then she saved Jae Chan so he started having them again once they were re-acquainted. Then he saved Woo Tak, so he started having them. Either that or it's all related back to Hong Joo and that's why they started getting premonitions; because of her. They were supposed to die but ultimately didn't either, because of Hong Joo or in relation to her - since Jae Chan actually saved Woo Tak because he wanted to save Hong Joo and her mum. Therefore, since she originally had the ability to dream of future events, when the future she saw was changed (because of or in relation to her) to the point where lives were saved that were supposed to die, that's why they also gained that ability. That's just my theory though. And it's also the reason I don't mind that we never got a clear answer. Everything else was wrapped so nicely that I don't think it was due to laziness.
Acting/Cast: I really enjoyed everyone in the cast and their acting. However, I gave this a 9/10 because of two reasons. I want to first say that when I started this kdrama, I was unfamiliar with almost all of the actors in it. Now I bet everyone is appalled that I haven't seen anything Lee Jong Suk has been in, I know, but I'll get around to watching them. Anyway, the only actors I know are Kim So Hyun (guest role), the fried chicken serial killer guy, and Jung Hae In (Woo Tak). I know I'm going to get hated on for saying this but Bae Suzy's acting wasn't as phenomenal as I was expecting. Majority of the tears she spilled were fake and not genuine and her acting was a little one note. It wasn't bad by any means, but I struggled to really connect to her. Also, I really loved Hong Joo and Jae Chan as a couple. They were cute, non-toxic, and their kisses were great. However, I'm sad to admit they were lacking a little in the chemistry department. I don't know why exactly, but yeah.
Music: I LOVED the soundtrack for WYWS. Every song was perfect, memorable, and were used perfectly throughout the show.
Rewatch Value: A solid show that doesn't make me endlessly frustrated with enough angst, cuteness, and comedy to keep me entertained.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is seriously close to one of my favorites, and it could have been, with a few tweaks. Other than that, the premise is seriously intriguing, the cinematography is gorgeous, the romance was natural, and the plot twists were gut-wrenching.I think I just wanted a bit more mystery with the criminals. There were some, but the show used a lot of dramatic irony — telling the audience who was at fault before the characters knew. It's a powerful tool for sure and I loved the frustration it caused me, but at the same time it got very formulaic, especially when it came down to The Big One at the end. I think my favorite subplots were the earliest ones — the car accident which was one of the best first episodes I've ever scene, and the domestic abuse one when cop and reporter's dreams clashed.
Going off of that, I think the show did a really good job with the mini-mysteries style. I'm usually not a fan of these because it reminds me of kids' shows where trouble pops up and is resolved in an episode. But WYWS tied them into the lives of our main characters really well and that's why I felt so emotionally involved in every case. Still, I kind of wish that the characters hadn't won pretty much every case they had, because I felt like a loss at some point would've made the antagonist (already a very powerful character) seem more competent.
With that being said, I thought the antagonist lawyer was a really good character but could've used more backstory that was unrelated to the main characters. He did a lot of evil things but at the same time seemed to have a conscience and some disgust towards his clients. He seemed to be really powerful and good at being bad, but because the main characters always seemed to defeat him, I never felt like he was on the same playing field.
I also wish the dreams were utilized more in different ways; I loved it when the question of knowing and changing the future became unclear, and the drama discussed how changing the future doesn't always mean "better." There's a lot of potential in what "the future" entails but the future mostly used it only as a tool for the main characters to get ahead in their reporter/prosecutor adventures.
With all those things being said, however, I still really loved a lot of things about this drama, especially the Investigator plot twist that totally BLEW MY MIND.
The ending mostly wrapped things up with a nice bow, though I have to say I have an aversion to the Vehicle-of-Doom trope despite how they reasoned it. The main characters were really good together and I loved both their personalities (humor was an added bonus), and I think the OST and the aesthetic of this entire drama really completed it.
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This review may contain spoilers
I love how this drama has been written and wished the drama had been received better when it first released. Because really, the storytelling and writing had been quite masterful and it's a shame that the drama received so much hate by some just because of the fact they did not like Suzy in this drama. Still, considering the drama still won quite a number of awards despite that, I guess things still turned out well.And it's a shame really, that some people could not see beyond their bias of her and view this drama's great writing with fairness. While some may argue that some of the cute acting from Suzy to be unbearable, I personally feel that all the cuteness were justified. I mean, considering how Hongjoo's character had the ability to see glimpses of future events in her dreams it made sense how she ended up being trying too hard to get him to like him or having too much imaginations regarding her relationship with Jaechan. Like she already saw much of the things that will happen in the future, how else can she pretend to be clueless about it? Regardless, I love how the relationship of the two naturally progress throughout the drama.
Through Pinocchio and I can Hear Your Voice, I grew to be really fond of the writer's writing. As usual of her writing style, I love how the relationship between Hongjoo, Jaechan and Wootak was quite healthy and normal and not overly dramatic for the sake of appealing to cliche triangle romance tropes and how even for the minor characters their story was written well. And I love how the story was quite balanced between the main trio and the way they ended up having precognitive dreams on each other was explained well.
I like how the flashback scenes were timed and paced really well in the drama. While initially the flashbacks may seem to be random but as the story goes on, all the pieces started to come together like a piece of a big puzzle. I quite like the way the backstories were positioned in a way it directly connects to the corrent plot. I have to sat that the writing of this drama and connections were really done well to the point you'd want to keep rewatching to see how all the hints connects to make up into a bigger picture. I really love the drama and loving the choice of the casting. It was perfect!
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This review may contain spoilers
All is well that ends well
I have a saying "if a drama doesn't manage to pull you in within the first episode, don't bother watching anymore" and this applied beautifully to this drama. Sometimes I was put off by the actors portrayal of the characters or by the story even though I like the actors, but all is won in this drama.The first episode is like a movie in its own and gives you a feeling of contentment at the end. The love triangle is handled with ease without the casualty feeling you get from a typical one.
The cinematography is bright and well lit, some mystery dramas use a dark color palette to convey suspense, which is a preference of mine. The good guys are verging on the adorable dorky persona with a bright aura, so you get a giddy feeling whenever they pop up on the screen.
The ending is such a good feel one, that you feel cleansed from all bad things in life.
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